Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Last Dance | 1999 | Joyce & Jim Lavene | Buy |
| 2 | One Last Good-Bye | 2000 | Joyce & Jim Lavene | Buy |
| 3 | The Last to Remember | 2001 | Joyce & Jim Lavene | Buy |
| 4 | Until Our Last Embrace | 2001 | Joyce & Jim Lavene | Buy |
| 5 | Dreams Don’t Last | 2002 | Joyce & Jim Lavene | Buy |
| 6 | For the Last Time | 2002 | Joyce & Jim Lavene | Buy |
| 7 | Glory’s Last Victim | 2003 | Joyce & Jim Lavene | Buy |
| 8 | Last Fires Burning | 2003 | Joyce & Jim Lavene | Buy |
| 9 | Last One Down | 2004 | Joyce & Jim Lavene | Buy |
| 10 | Last Rites | 2004 | Joyce & Jim Lavene | Buy |
| 11 | Before The Last Lap | 2005 | Joyce & Jim Lavene | Buy |
| 12 | The First Shall Be Last | 2007 | Joyce & Jim Lavene | Buy |
The Sharyn Howard Mystery series was the first major collaboration from Joyce and Jim Lavene. Beginning with Last Dance in 1999, it follows Sharyn Howard, who becomes sheriff of Diamond Springs, North Carolina, after her father is killed in the line of duty. Across twelve books, Sharyn investigates murders, arsons, and other crimes while dealing with political rivals and complicated family relationships.
Each title in the series plays on the word “last,” giving the books a distinctive naming pattern from Last Dance through The First Shall Be Last. The series ran through 2007 and established the Lavenes’ approach to cozy mystery writing, with a strong sense of place and a protagonist readers could follow over many installments.